A Clock Rewound
by Indecisively Yours
Summary: This can't be happening. He could have sworn he was just sitting in the auditorium, watching his friends walk across the stage to graduate. He just blinked. Now? Well, now he's a bit too early. Three years too early.


A Clock Rewound

Chapter 1

No hope. Pathetic. Useless. He's heard it all these days, especially the ones leading up to graduation. By his mother; by his teachers; by everyone who thought he couldn't hear if they whispered behind his back.

But it all hurts just a bit more today. Because today was the day he was supposed to graduate. He was supposed to be joining his friends up there. He was supposed to be walking across that stage and getting his diploma. That was the plan. To do whatever it took to not end up like that deadbeat father of his who never graduated, was never there for his family, and who only made visits into town to ask his only son for all of his savings. No, the plan was to do whatever it took to get out of this town and maybe finally make something out of himself. He's not too sure when the glitch in his plans happened or where. But if he knew, he'd do whatever he could to stop it from happening.

A second chance. A clock rewound. That's all he wanted. A chance at keeping Beth. A chance at making things right with Quinn. A chance at giving her what she deserved from him. But most of all, he wanted a chance at making it right, between him and everyone else around him. Maybe then if he had this chance at a do-over, things would turn out better. Maybe then he'd have a chance at happiness like Rachel and Finn had now.

If only, right? That stuff only existed in the movies, really. But if he had the chance, he'd take it. Without a doubt, if it meant he'd be able to right the wrongs over the years. Because although he had a lot of rights (when they came to Beth, mostly), he had a lot of wrongs that overshadowed everything. When it came to him, people only ever saw the wrongs. It was as though he wasn't worthy of the rights.

Even if it did happen, he'd be the least likely candidate. Someone better would get the chance before him. Someone like Quinn. Yeah, she'd get the chance. Then she'd stop anything from happening in the first place and keep on living her perfect life. A life that wouldn't be marred by him.

Today wasn't about him or his failures. No, not at all. Today was about his friends and their successes. Today was about them walking across that stage and getting their diplomas. Today was about them doing what he never could achieve. It was their day to shine. He'd just sit in the background, as always, hoping he didn't manage to mess things up like always.

_If I had a second chance_, he told himself as he sunk even further into his chair. _If the clocks could just turn back time, I'd fix all of this. I'd be a better person._ Things weren't that easy, he realized. Even if he wished for it with all his might, there was still the deserving factor to consider. Always seemed to be the deciding factor.

He lifted himself up only to sink into his chair once more. The sooner this was all over, the better. He'd get out of here, disappear, and they'd never have to deal with the failure that was one Noah Puckerman. It'd be better that way. Not just for him but for everyone around him.

Maybe if he closed his eyes time would pass by faster. Maybe then he'd block out all of it and only come back for it when it was all done. That was the plan, until an all too familiar voice was calling his name, and the feeling of being pushed occurred.

His eyes jolted open then, only for him to be practically blinded by the sun. The sun? No, that wasn't there two seconds ago. Neither was the green that surrounded him everywhere. His shirt, he noticed once he glanced down, was missing. He was sure he was wearing one not a minute ago.

The familiar figure of Finn hovered above him, dropping water on him from his hair and shorts. He had a towel in hand as he dried his hair and took a seat next to Puck on the adjacent lounge chair.

"You fell asleep," Finn informed him. "Quinn invites us to her place for a pool party, finally, and you fall asleep?"

Puck looked over at him completely confused. Where was the graduation stuff? And the auditorium? And the _everything_? It wouldn't be the first time he had a vivid dream (mainly they were about the blond that invited them over in the first place) but he never had one quite like this.

"Must still be tired," he mumbled to Finn, unsure from where his words came. "_Halo_ marathon was intense last night."

"Well, stay awake, dude," he was told as he was punched once more in the arm. "Santana's been looking for you. And if we play our cards right we can definitely ask them out tonight."

"Yeah," Puck answered as he stretched. "Just give me a minute. I'll join you guys in a few."

Finn nodded in response before he got up and headed to the refreshment table. Always hungry it seemed, he grabbed a slice of pizza and walked over to the other group of guys hanging about with drinks in their hands.

This location was too familiar to Puck. Not only the home and the people but the time and the atmosphere and the way Finn spoke about Quinn and Santana as if this was the present. So would that "present" he thought of just be a vivid dream? What else could it be?

"Are you going to stay in that chair or are you going to join me in the hot tub, Puckerman?" Santana asked as she approached him. Her boobs were definitely smaller than what his dream had shown him (he's a dude, fuck off) but that bikini still hugged her in all the right places.

"Guess not," he said as he grabbed the hand she had extended out to him and allowed her to lead him to the hot tub just a few feet away from the pool.

"My parents are gonna be gone tonight," she whispered in his ear. He didn't need to be told twice as to what that meant, especially when it came to Santana.

"Of course," he replied with a nod. He would have been totally into what followed shortly after, but the fact that he had spotted and successfully made eye contact with the blonde hostess distracted him from all else.

The look she gave him once they locked eyes and the number of things it meant was enough to make him forget about the all too vivid dream of a future that hadn't come yet. It was enough to make him look forward to the summer that was to come. It was more than enough to pencil in some alone time between the two of them, regardless of the fact that his bro was interested in her.

A rewound clock or just a too real dream, Puck was definitely going to make the most of this.


End file.
